Raheel boosts Riyadh’s anti-terrorism alliance

Subject

The impact of Raheel Sharif taking over as the head of the Saudi-led counterterrorism alliance

Significance

Pakistan’s retired chief of army staff General Raheel Sharif was last month appointed commander of the Saudi Arabia-led Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism, which now has 41 members. The appointment boosts the image of the Islamic Alliance at a time of limited progress on Saudi-Pakistan political relations and little clarity on the goals and strategy of the Alliance itself.

Impacts

• Saudi-Pakistan military-to-military ties will develop, partly due to their longstanding defence pact and arms sales.
• Islamabad will continue to improve ties with Iran, even if that means somewhat alienating Riyadh.
• Pakistan’s army will avoid any Middle Eastern military campaign that could worsen Shia-Sunni divisions at home.